Pillow Academy will graduate 40 seniors during commencement ceremonies at 6 p.m. Friday at the Leflore County Civic Center.
Among those honored will be Taylor Rivers Bush, valedictorian, and Bethany Lynn Tillman, salutatorian.
Bush, the daughter of Nan and Daryl Bush of Greenwood, will graduate with a grade point average of 100.13, and Tillman, the daughter of Bea and Collier Tillman of Schlater, with a GPA of 99.09.
Bush attends St. John’s United Methodist Church, and Tillman, First Baptist Church.
Tillman and Bush have serious academic careers in mind.
Bush has an ACT score of 29 and will attend the University of Mississippi. “I am majoring in chemical engineering, or so far I am,” she said. “I have always been really good at math and science, and I have a bunch of people in my family who are engineers. It has always interested me.”
She also wants to continue with another important interest. “I hope I can keep dancing because I have been dancing my whole life,” Bush said.
She was on Pillow’s varsity and junior varsity dance teams, and is the captain of Expressions Dance Studio’s competition team. She participated in four school plays and six Greenwood Little Theatre plays, appearing on stage and working backstage.
At school, she also was a member of the Junior Engineering Technical Society.
Schoolwork was important but usually not too difficult. She would study at night — after dance. “Balancing school and dance has been the biggest challenge,” she said.
Tillman also found academics stimulating, but the challenge for her came from athletics.
She earned a score of 27 on the ACT and will attend Mississippi State University. “I am planning on majoring in biochemistry, and I am trying to choose between going into forensics or medicine,” Tillman said.
Her interest in medicine is fueled by having participated in mission trips: one to Mexico at age 13 with her church, First Baptist, and a second at age 17 to Haiti, this time with North Greenwood Baptist Church.
She saw so many people in need. “I love science, and I knew that offers something I could do to help,” Tillman said.
Her favorites sciences are biology and chemistry, and their study was easy.
She also liked playing softball for Pillow, and that taught her about addressing a challenge.
“Sports was something I wasn’t good at and I kind of had to learn it. I love softball, and I was glad to get to do that.”
Her activities included serving as vice president of Mu Alpha Theta and Junior Engineering Technical Society and treasurer of the ASTRA Club, which is sponsored by Altrusa International of Greenwood.
Tillman and Bush are honored by their individual roles as class salutatorian and valedictorians. “It feels awesome,” Bush said.
• Contact Susan Montgomery at 581-7235 or smontgomery@gwcommonwealth.com.
